"The threshold to ban a protest is high, and we do not take this decision lightly; this is the first time we have used this power since 2012. Police believed the march presents unique risks and challenges given the current volatile situation in the Middle East and the potential for serious public disorder."
"Al-Quds Day is an international annual event held every year on the last Friday of Ramadan, in which rallies are held to express support for Palestine and oppose the Israeli occupation of its territories. Iran's first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, established Al-Quds Day in 1979 shortly after the Islamic revolution."
"The Islamic Human Rights Commission condemned the decision and said it would challenge it legally. The group claimed the police had capitulated to the pressure of the Zionist lobby and rejected accusations that it supports the Iranian government, saying it is an independent nongovernmental organisation."
The United Kingdom has prohibited this year's Al-Quds Day march in London, a 40-year-old annual event, due to concerns about public disorder linked to Middle East volatility and potential clashes between opposing protesters. The Metropolitan Police requested the ban, which Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood approved. The one-month ban begins Wednesday at 16:00 GMT and covers Sunday's planned march and associated counterprotests. The Islamic Human Rights Commission, which organises the demonstration, condemned the decision and announced plans for legal challenge while proceeding with a static protest. Al-Quds Day, established by Iran's Khomeini in 1979, occurs annually on Ramadan's last Friday to express Palestinian support and oppose Israeli occupation. This marks the first protest march ban since 2012 when authorities prevented English Defence League marches.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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